Category Archives: Education
How To Stay Motivated With Uni Work During Lockdown
On the face of it being stuck at home under lockdown circumstances may appear to give you the ideal time to get your head down and focus on you uni work. With this being said however feeling motivated to keep working hard is far more difficult than it seems. Melbourne uni students in particular have been discussing recently the challenges which they have found in keeping their motivation levels high during lockdown.
Whilst many students were able to go back home, a lot of international students were unable to do this. In terms of student accommodation Melbourne has seen a great number remain here, and that is down to the challenges for international students. With this being said, there are some hints and tips which may help you to keep your motivation levels high, so that you can focus on your work.
Dedicated Study Area
Our homes are usually where we go to relax after a tough day of studying, and trying to relax and work in the same space can blur the lines. This is certainly something which negatively impacts motivation. With this in mind it makes a great deal of sense to try and separate the space in the home where you would relax and where you would study. This will help with focus and ensure that you don’t get sick of the same four walls.
Minimizing Distractions
Another factor which can affect motivation is the number of distractions which we have in our homes. It is simply too easy to grab our phones or to switch on the television when we should be studying. For this reason ensure that your study area is as free from distractions as you can make it. In reality you should be looking to strip out everything but your study resources, so that you can stay motivated and focused.
Using Timers
A timer can sometimes be a great way for you to stay on track with your studying, and the Pomodoro technique is a proven approach to increasing motivation. This timer runs in 25 minutes segments with a 5 minute break in-between. There are 8 of these 25 minute segments in total, before having a 30 minute break and starting again. Studying in bursts of 25 minutes is excellent for motivation and you’ll find that the clock almost becomes your authority to keep pushing you to study.
Setting Times
Another great idea is to set the times within which you will study. No matter if this is 9 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon, or 9 at night until 5 in the morning. You have absolute flexibility in terms of when you study, but the key will be that you structure your time within the day. If you don’t do this then you can easily lose the discipline which you need, as well as the motivation to study what you need to. The more days that you do this, the easier it will become and the more motivated you will be.
These are challenging times but with some discipline and some hard work, you will be able to find that motivation again.
Winter Uni Student Guide in Melbourne
For Melbourne uni students the benefit of living in this city in particular is one that they can enjoy all year round. The temperature can in fact drop quite a bit in the winter months but this is a city which can adapt very quickly and present those living here with plenty of opportunities to have fun.
When it comes to student accommodation Melbourne has plenty of off-campus locations which are close to the university grounds but also close to the action. This provides students with the perfect place to stay and still enjoy themselves during the winter months.
Take it To The Hot Springs
Melbourne uni students will find a great deal of pleasure in heading off to Fingal and enjoying the hot springs which they will find there. This is around a 2 hour trip from Melbourne and students can buddy up and share the load in terms of transport. Here you will find water which is bubbling away at 60 degrees celsius, which can be enjoyed whilst taking in an incredible view.
Watching The AFL
Melbourne is mecca for a number of activities, the first being food, the second being music and the third being sport. The Aussie Rules season takes place primarily throughout the winter and this is a great sport to watch at the MCG. The sport is fast and ferocious and always entertaining. Because of the size of the ground, there are always tickets available and there are special prices for some matches which students can take advantage of.
Heading to The Docklands
During the winter months, on every Friday night, the Docklands is alive with a fireworks display which never gets boring. Not far from UC student accommodation the Docklands offer fireworks displays, pop-up markets, open air restaurants and many bars and terraces all open where you can enjoy the very best of the display. This event runs from June through to August and the fireworks officially get started at 18:30. Usually you will find that the actual display starts closer to 19:30.
Go Adventurous
Melbourne uni students don’t have to head far from the city to enjoy some winter sporting activities, and in Mount Buller and Falls Creek you will have the chance to get some skiing and snowboarding fun. This is a great way to spend the weekend with friends, and there are plenty of off-piste activities as well. The scenic views are impressive, the activities are fun and this makes for the perfect short-term winter break from the city, the perfect way to get away from your studies for a while.
And finally students should be identifying the right pubs to enjoy during these months, which feature a roaring fire to warm them up. There are a number of pubs which place the fire front and center, and have many seating areas around it where you can really enjoy the experience of watching the fire blaze.
The temperature may drop in winter, but that doesn’t mean that there is any less to do than during the summer in Melbourne.
The Penguin CBD Scholarship and the Benefits of Using CBD
The current options for treatment or relief from many chronic illnesses and conditions are provided by large pharmaceutical companies and although many are effective, they often cause other conditions that are life threatening.
This situation begs for new therapies and medicines are sorely needed. When these new choices are natural and without major side effects, it can create a better quality of life for millions of people around the world.
One of the most promising new classes of medicines are natural plant compounds. Leading the way in this area is the marijuana plant which has been found to offer compounds that can improve health. The most promising marijuana compound is called Cannabidiol or CBD, which is one of 113 isolated ‘cannabinoids’ found in the marijuana plant.
CBD is Growing in Popularity
CBD is an active, natural compound that has the medical community excited about its ability to help many who suffer from chronic illnesses and conditions. There has also been considerable clinical research on CBD has a long list of positive properties that are w especially helpful to people who suffer from anxiety, pain, depression, neurological issues, movement disorders and sleep challenges..
CBD is Being Studied Worldwide by the Medical Community
CBD is currently on of the most studied medical compounds because of the great promise it is showing to treat so many chronic illnesses. Researchers believe that the medical community has only scratched the surface in its ability as a treatment and every few months it seems some new benefit is discovered when CBD is used.
There is a particular focus on its ability to assist with depression and anxiety relief, and its use to diminish the symptoms of harsh medical treatments for cancer. CBD is not only showing great promise in these areas, millions are using CBD oil and CBD infused products every day as treatments.
Students in the Medical Profession are Being Offered Incentives by CBD Companies
Penguin CBD believes everyone should live a natural and healthy lifestyle. The company wants to pioneer a new generation of people living a preventative health care lifestyle. They plan on achieving this through the science, innovation and premium supplementation they are creating at Penguin CBD. They are obsessed with helping people feel great, look great and perform at their highest level.
To help invest in the future where this is possible, they have created the Penguin CBD Scholarship. This one time $1500 scholarship is open to any student who is currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate, graduate, or professional program in the United States and to high school students who have been accepted to or are enrolled in an accredited program. The scholarship applicant must be interested in pursuing a healthcare major / career. All eligible candidates must be in good academic standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above.
The future of alternatives medicines is very bright because they offer effective treatment of a range of illnesses and diseases and create fewer and less harsh side effects on the person. CBD leads the way in terms of alternative medicines that are both extremely effective and very safe.
Teach to One – Jumping to New Ideas
Making the leap in the modern education system to new ideas is something that takes time to foster into the lives of others. Many stick to the afforded approach to education that has been featured for centuries as it is termed the benchmark for success. What underlies this demeanor is the approach flaws that exist. Most of the modernized teaching platforms do very little to ensure the success of all students. Keeping a single instructor to teach the minds of others only others for so many internal advancements due to the pace at which students learn. Some learning inhibitors prevent students from keeping pace with the pack, often falling behind in schooling due to simplistic ideas. If more students could be molded at a pace that was relevant to their learning styles, then all could advance on the same terms and teaching styles.
To better rewrite the approach to learning and to create the advancement terms needed to keep everyone on the same page, Teach to One created programs to learning. These programs involve changing the design of the modern classroom. Expansions are necessary to support this faction, so much funding goes into the creation and development of this platform. Most of this funding can be sought through the perspectives of school boosters, fund-raising campaigns, and the support of educational boards. Once secured, this money will be used to completely renovate and transform the classroom for positive learning standards. The Teach to One design creates a classroom that is resistant to failure and provides the stable atmosphere needed to adhere to all of the different frameworks of mind held within students.
One of the main regions of success within this program has been utilized in the state of New York. Educational boards and support systems have presented this idea to the general public and have been utilizing this platform as a source for education improvements for the past few years. The design remains simple, yet effective. The classroom design increases the surface area of usage space almost tenfold. Embarking on the size increase offers the designed space needed to foster these positive changes to the designated mean. Students are able to receive their action plan prior to entering the classroom.
A directive board is located outside of the classroom that pairs the student with a different form of learning each day. The subject matter that became the initial test platform for this learning development was mathematics. Students were broken into one of four different groups for a given day. One group applied their teachings to online learning courses that would challenge the mind with quick reaction problems. A second group would pair with other students and learn word problems with one another. The third was partnered with an instructor to develop the needed standards for one-on-one work. The last was a group that would center around practicality problems that would often take a few days to complete. Each different stage would pair the student to a different learning approach, centering around all aspects to ensure the correct path was selected for future usage. The design helped to pair the student with their desired learning platform, preventing the student from falling behind or chasing other students to keep up on their coursework.
The designs of the New Classrooms: Teach to One are meant to support all of the different facets of education. While mathematics was one of the initial testing components, the additional subject matter can be inserted into this systematic approach for excellence with a few tweaks. The program looks to foster a new approach to the modern systems of education. The school system must remain aboard the strive for it to function properly. Additional testing points will be released early this year to better help create this change throughout different regions of the globe.
How well do you know about the Spanish dialects?
What is your first thought when you hear someone speak Spanish around you or on television? Does it bring pictures of ‘Narcos’ episodes, delicious tacos and quesadillas or romantic Spanish poetry? You can spot these emblems of the Spanish culture and language all around you as Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world.
The Spanish language has many dialects spoken in different parts of the world. It is important to be aware of these dialects which will help you learn more about the Spanish culture. It will also be fun when you are able to recognise someone speaking in an unfamiliar dialect.
If you are in the process of learning the language through a proper degree or Spanish evening courses, this blog will satiate your curiosity on the dialects of the language.
Read on to know about six major dialects of the language that are spoken across the globe.
1. Castilian Spanish
This dialect is one of the most widely known and spoken of all the dialects of the Spanish language. The dialect is known for different verb conjugations than other dialects. For instance, the verb form of ‘Vostros’ is used informally in Castilian Spanish as opposed to other dialects.
Another major difference that you can observe is the –ra ending being used in association with the imperfect subjunctives in other dialects whereas there is a –se ending in Castilian Spanish.
2. Andalusian Spanish
Andalusian Spanish is the second-most spoken Spanish dialect in Spain. The dialect is very fluid and much softer than other dialects. This is because people speaking the dialect emit the consonants ‘d’ and ‘r’ to soften the sound of the words.
3. Rioplatense Spanish
The Rioplatense Spanish is spoken in many parts of Uruguay and Argentina. It has derived its name from the Rio de la Plata, a river between the borders of the two countries. This dialect is heavily influenced by the Italian language owing to the alrge number of Italian immigrants in those areas.
A significant distinction of the dialect is the substitution of the double l in classical Spanish with ‘sh’ in Rioplatense Spanish.
4. Caribbean Spanish
Caribbean Spanish is mostly spoken in the countries of Cuba, Puerto rico and the Dominican Republic. This dialect is known for its fast pace and colloquial terminology. Caribbean Spanish speakers also tend to drop the ‘d’ from the end of words. Thus, a common Spanish word ‘mitad’ becomes ‘mita’ in Caribbean Spanish.
Dominican Spanish is perhaps the most difficult to understand as the speakers in the region cut off huge chunks off a word. For example, instead of saying “esta,” they say it as “ta.”
5. Andean Spanish
Andean Spanish is spoken by people in Bolivia, Colombia, Equador, Peru and some regions of Venezuela. This dialect is influences by indigenous languages and well as its European heritage. You will probably find Andean Spanish the easiest to understand if you are learning Spanish as Andean speakers clearly pronounce their consonants.
6. Mexican Spanish
Most of the Spanish you hear in movies and TV shows is usually the Mexican dialect. Spanish is the mother tongue of most Mexicans and Mexico is the largest contributor to the Spanish cinema and media. It is very easy to understand the Mexican dialect as native speakers usually have clear pronunciation. This dialect is also known for the presence of most slang words.
Every Spanish dialect has its own quirks and unique stories behind the differences from the classical Spanish language. If you are a history buff, make sure you read up on these stories to make your Spanish classes more interesting and fun.
